You put a lot of money into moving into your apartment, and you’d like to recover it when you move out. However, that security deposit is only yours if your place passes inspection and looks like new after you leave. If that’s not enough to stress you out and cause you anxiety, nothing is. You’re a cleaning machine once your items are moved out, but are you forgetting a few of the most important things you should handle before your landlord comes into to inspect your apartment? Forgetting to clean these things can cause you to lose your security deposit in a flash.

If you want your entire deposit back, you better get busy dusting!

Fill the Holes and Paint the Walls

You’re not permitted to paint in most rentals, but sometimes you must do it if you used any nails on the walls. It’s time to fill in all the holes, paint the walls, and be sure you’re not missing a single spot. One small nail hole not filled and painted can cost you your deposit.

Clean the Baseboards

You might not worry so much about them when you live there, but your landlord might be looking for any reason to keep your money after you move out. The best thing you can do is be sure there is no speck of dust left in the entire house. The baseboards are one of the dirtiest things in a room, and it’s time to clean them.

Clean the Appliances

Don’t think you can wipe down the outside and be done with your job. The appliances in the kitchen must be thoroughly cleaned before you move out. Get into the fridge, empty it out, and clean every shelf as if your life depends on it. Open the oven and scrub it until there is not a trace of evidence it’s ever been used. The same goes for the microwave.

Make sure to thoroughly vacumm and mop the floors.

Spend Extra Time in the Bathrooms

Bathrooms are filthy since it’s where people are nude and doing their dirtiest business. Now is the time to spend extra time cleaning. Clean the cabinet doors to get any make-up covered fingerprints off. Clean the drains to remove your excess hair, and be sure every inch of your toilets are spotless. The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in a home, and your landlord doesn’t want to come in and clean up after you.

Turn in All the Keys

If you are done cleaning and ready to hand over the keys, don’t forget to turn them all in. If you have two, give back two. If you made a third for your teen, give it to the landlord. The last thing he wants to do is worry that there are additional keys to his place floating around out there.

Your apartment needs to be cleaner when you leave than it was when you arrived, and you must not miss anything. The smallest issue, the little problem, and you might lose your entire security deposit and the cleaning fee you paid when you moved in. For additional tips on tackling moving day, check out our post from last week.